New Zealand
travel - get FREE detailed information on attractions, things to do and see
and much, much more.

This website is the big picture, the
overall view, but if you want detailed information on where to
go and what to see, go to
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inclusion. It is the essential planning guide you need
to work out how to get the most from your time in this drop-dead
beautiful country.

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Transport:
Getting
Around New Zealand

To get more information
on transport options Download my FREE E-BOOK "A New Zealand
Travel Guide.
It will give you much more detail on arrival formalities,
transport, accommodation, driving in the country, as well as a
detailed guide to the action and attractions in the regions.
All that and a whole lot of other useful stuff you'll need to
know to get the most enjoyment from your time here.

Once you've arrived in New Zealand how do you get around
the place? Here's some thoughts

By Land

Driving

One of the questions
I often get asked is about driving in New Zealand. Is
it hard to drive on the left side of the road? How much petrol
will I use? How many kms a day can I expect to cover? Should I rent a
car or buy one? What are the insurance arrangements? And lots more.

It is legal to hitch-hike and provided you are careful it's not particularly
dangerous. But bad things do happen from time to time - like about once
every five to ten years.

A woman hitching alone is maybe not a good idea and at night it's a
real no-no - some guys seem to think that they are entitled to be "paid" for the
ride, if you know what I mean. Unfortunately not all Kiwis are good Kiwis.

Cycling

No doubt
about it - if you want to get up close and personal with
the landscape then cycling is the way to do it. But be
warned, there are hills here. The country is a curious
mixture of long flat stretches with a lot of hilly
country between. Some of it is mountainous, even. There are
a number of cycle touring companies that make it a bit
easier. Some of them provide a bus that goes with you and
if you want you can accelerate uphill by bus and
exhilarate downhill on the bike.

Backpackers bus.

There are several transport networks
covering the main tourist routes. They are similar in concept - you
pick your itinerary, buy a pass and just hop on and off
the coach as and when you want. When you consider that
you can hire a cheap rental car for around $900 a month (less
in the off season) it may be cheaper to take a car if there are two of
you.

There are coachlines that offer a coach
pass which allow you to travel
at your own pace on a given itinerary. They offer a itineraries which have varying minimum
duration - from 7 to 12 days and a maximum of three
months. Again compare the costs.

One of the coach operators is Naked Bus -
but beware. They base their pricing tactics on the Ryanair approach to
slowly bleeding you white. I recently tried to book a trip from Auckland
to Tauranga. Although their $23.99 fare was slightly higher than
Intercity their timing suited me better. So I started the
booking process.

Surprise, surprise a "web booking fee" of $2.99 was added. Reluctantly
I decided to accept it so I took the next step. Suddenly I'm hit with a
.99c SMS reply fee and a $1 cancellation insurance - neither of which I
wanted but there appeared to be no way to avoid those charges.

The result of the "$23.99" fare is actually $28.98 In my view view
this is manifestly dishonest trading. Apparently you can book by phone,
but only by paying $1.99 a minute!!!

There are also a number of small
shuttle coaches that run along set routes between cities.

Rail Travel

There are three main-line passenger services:

The Overlander - Auckland
to Wellington and vice versa.

The
TranzCoastal - Picton to Christchurch and return daily.

The
Tranzalpine - one of the
most famous and popular between Christchurch and
Greymouth through the spectacular Southern Alps.

Great as an experience, but limited in terms of getting out into
the countryside and experiencing it.

By Sea

New Zealand is a country divided against
itself. It is split in two (three actually - more about that later) by
Cook Strait, the stretch of water that divides the North Island from the
South Island. The Cook Strait ferries provide a
vital "iron bridge" between the road and rail
systems of the two main islands in the country.

There are
several sailings a day in both directions across Cook Strait but try to make
the crossing in daylight - the run down Queen Charlotte
Sound is quite beautiful.

Oh, yeah. I nearly forgot. New Zealand is really three islands:
the North island, the South Island and Stewart Island which is off the
south coast of the South Island.

By Air

There are two main trunk airline
operators but only Air New Zealand services provincial
centres.

All have
a range of incentive fares: Generally you will buy a
cheaper fare on the net - unless you can include domestic
travel as part of your international ticket.

And it's all written by
a local - not a visiting "editor" - who has been travelling and
writing about the country for 30 years. I can give you hints and
tips that only a local could possibly know - ideas that will save
you time, money and tears.

This
is important: No one has paid for
inclusion in this guide. There are no ads and I rarely, if
ever, accept free rides, accommodation etc. That way I am totally
free to recommend whatever or whoever I choose.